Call it sacrilege if you must, but Alpine will soon build SUVs, too. I know, I know, purists aren’t going to like that, but if it’s cool and it embodies that sporty, focused Alpine spirit, it won’t be too bad, right? I guess only time will tell, but for now, Alpine’s new A390_β concept previews the brand’s would-be first pure electric SUV. Although, if the letters “S-U-V” scare you off too much, Alpine seems to prefer calling the A390_β a ‘sport fastback’. Forming part of Alpine’s ‘Dream Garage’ line-up, it also joins the A290 electric hot hatch and a soon-to-be electrified A110. Right now, though, the Alpine A390_β is only a concept, but keep an eye out for 2025.
On the surface, the Alpine A390_β does have a really handsome silhouette, with its sleek, low bodywork, vast amounts of greenhouse, a gigantic glass canopy, and superb paintwork to go with it. Specifically, this ‘Bleu Specular’ paint shifts under different lighting, further focusing on a lot of the sharp, dynamic lines that you’ll see on the A390_β. Alpine even gave it a distinctive face to go with it, so-called the ‘Cosmic Dust’ lighting signature. The thin lightbars and array of illuminated triangles definitely give the A390_β a sci-fi look. Alas, how much of this will carry over to the road-going production model sometime down the line, remains to be seen.
Electrifyingly Sporting Form And Function
It’s not just form over function either, as the Alpine A390_β sport fastback is aerodynamically lean and aggressive. Between the flying bridge at the front, widened side scoops, and a shark fin at the rear, I could see a lot of familiar similarities between the A390_β and Alpine’s race cars. Better yet, on this concept show car, the rear lightbar is retractable, which could extend up to 80mm. This basically shifts the A390_β’s form factor from a short tail to a long tail in an instant. It ought to be handy if you’re looking to maximise drag or extend its driving range. Between this and those huge 22-inch (front) and 23-inch (rear) wheels, I quite like this vibe.
Step inside the Alpine A390_β sport fastback, there’s an abundance of motorsports inspiration here, as well. The cockpit, in particular, definitely pays homage to Alpine’s Formula 1 cars. It even has two different driving positions – one for daily driving, while the other is reserved for when you’re ready to hit the track. It’s definitely concept car-y inside the A390_β, with all the holographic displays, racing-inspired steering wheel, mineral and jewel-like bits and pieces, as well as the cocoon-like atmosphere for your rear passengers. There’s even an overtake button on the steering wheel, which will inject a bit more power for instant torque delivery.
Still A Proper Alpine Inside And Out
Alas, Alpine hasn’t shared a lot of specs, at least for now, but we do have a slight glimpse into what the A390_β could offer performance-wise. For starters, it features not one, not two, but three electric motors – one at the front, and two at the rear. This triple motor set-up is paired with all-wheel drive (AWD) and active torque vectoring. Altogether, Alpine is aiming for world-class precision, torque distribution, handling, and sharp dynamics. It sounds like it would be a proper rocket ship to drive, so at least it still has that Alpine DNA inside and out. It ought to be, given that the A390_β is built on a modified variant of the Ampere AmpR Medium platform.
This architecture is said to optimise weight distribution and maximise interior space. On top of that, the batteries would be positioned under the passenger compartment to keep a super low centre of gravity, so despite its SUV-like form factor, it should still feature athletic handling. In addition, look around the A390_β, and you’ll notice a lot of clever engineering, from the use of carbon fibre, tonnes of 3D printed trim, and a high-end Devialet sound system. For now, it’s a waiting game to see what the production version of this stunningly sleek Alpine A390_β would be like. Still, if this is any indicator, the future of Alpine, even in EV form, looks rather bright.
